Armenia revising vocational training licensing procedure 

ArmInfo. Armenia is reviewing the licensing procedure in the field of vocational education and training. The relevant decision was approved by the Armenian Cabinet of Ministers on July 24.

As stated by the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports  of the Republic of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan, presenting the draft  resolution on amending the procedure for licensing colleges, the  innovation concerns the differentiation of licensing forms. In  particular, previously the same license was used both for issuing a  permit for activity and for obtaining a qualification, which did not  allow for the necessary flexibility and considering the issuance of a  qualification as a full-fledged process.

'After the amendments to the legislation, the licensing procedure  already distinguishes between two types of licenses. One will allow  the opportunity to carry out activities, and in this case, such  important factors as the conditions and necessary infrastructure,  that is, the prerequisites for operating as an educational  institution, will be taken into account.

The second type of license will be valid for a specific  qualification, program. Here, the availability of the necessary  teaching staff, the availability of the necessary conditions for the  implementation of an educational program with specific qualifications  will be considered in a much more substantive manner.  This will  allow for more effective and targeted activities>, the minister  explained.

Andreasyan also pointed to changes in the licensing procedure aimed  at cooperation with the private sector.  In particular, the licensing  procedure establishes separate provisions on the standards of  on-the-job training conditions, and also emphasizes the importance of  reducing the share of core personnel to 30%, which will allow  colleges to more actively attract specialists working in the private  sector with practical knowledge and skills.

According to the minister, the current procedure also did not  determine the conditions for compliance of educational, classroom and  laboratory premises. The amendments provide for the necessary  clarifications in this area. In addition, with the introduction of  changes to the licensing procedure, the wording used in the industry  has been brought into line with international classifications of  education. Accordingly, instead of initial vocational professional  educational programs, the terms 'first-level vocational education'  will be used, and instead of secondary vocational education -  'second-level vocational education.'